Improvement in hearses



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEToE.A

MELVlN JINOKS AND F. ALTMEYER, OF DANSVILLE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN H EARSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,835, dated October 16, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MELVIN J rNoKs and FRANCIS ALTMEYER, of Dansville, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hearses 5 and we hereby declare that the following is a true, exact, and full description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon.

The nature of our invention consists in the use of certain mechanical devices for expediti-ng the receiving and discharging coftns from the hearse.

Figure l in the annexed drawings represents a plan view of the hearse and the car within it for supporting thc cofn. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

The letter A designates the hearse, and B the car. The frame of the hearse is similar to those in common use.

The ear B consists of a platform supported by four wheels, two on each side. The bottom of the hearse is furnished with rails O, which extend lengthwise of the hearse, cach rail having a tiange or rim at its outer edge, having a space between said rim and the side of the hearse to receive the wheels E. Similar and corresponding rails are fastened iiush with the upper edge of the sides of hearse A, the rim on the bottom of said rails G being intended to prevent the escape of the wheels E from their proper position. The platform of car B has on its upper surface four metal points or spurs, two being at each end. These spurs are designed to prevent the coffin from jostling when the hearse isin motion.

G represents a board placed at right angles across the hearse, near its hinder end. The i upper edge of G is also furnished with metal points, the object of which will be hereinafter explained. On the inner side of G is placed the hook my, which is designed to catch in the eye u on the end of platform B. By this sim ple arrangement the car is prevented from jestling.

F designates a roller, which is placed close to the end of the hearse, having its upper surface a little above the platform B. Between roller F and board G is placed the bar H, the ends of which are pivoted in the sides of the hearse. The bar H is operated by the lever D, and its upper edge furnished with a series of metal spurs, designed to act on the bottom of the coffin, as hereinafter described.

In operating our machine the tirst step is to pass the hook m through the eye n, in order to keep the car stationary whilc receiving the coffin; next, by the action of lever D, turn down the bar H, so that the spurs on it will point outward; then place the head of the coffin on the roller F, and push it forward until the foot of the coffin has passed the roller;

then draw back the bar H by means of lever D, and the spurs on H will catch in the bottom of the coffin, and throw it forward to its place oli-the car. The spurs on the platform and on board G will keep the coffin in place until the hearse arrives at its destination.

W'lien the coffin is to be removed from the hearse push the lever D in the direction of the roller F, and the spurs on bar H will catch on the bottom of the coffin and throw it on roller F. The cofn will now be disengaged from the spurs on the platform B, and, rest-ing on roller F, can be easily withdrawn from the hearse.

Having thus described our invention, what we elai1n,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of roller F, the bar H, board G, the car B, and the rails C, the whole constructed and operating in the manner and for the purpose herein specitied.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we hereunto affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

MELVIN JINGKS. t FRANCIS ALTMEYER.

Witnesses C. R. KERN, THEO. YUELLER. 

